Despite the increased manufacture and sale of automotive security devices, automobile theft remains a major problem throughout the world. In recent years, assault of vehicle occupants has also become a common event. Despite the tremendous increase in the development and sales of anti-theft devices, professional thieves have no difficulty in breaking into vehicles and over-riding existing devices. Automobile sirens announcing these burglaries attract little attention to a car thieve's efforts as these sounds have become as common a sound in urban areas as the sound of crickets in the countryside.
Once a thief has gained entrance to an automobile, he has little difficulty in distorting or cutting a steering wheel to remove a wheel lock or hot wiring an ignition system to defeat a starter or ignition kill alarm system. It is painfully obvious that access for over-riding these deterrent systems simply requires a thief to defeat the o.e.m. door locks baring his immediate entry into a vehicle. Unfortunately, the majority of o.e.m. locks may be opened, possibly faster than with a key, utilizing a "slim-jim" (a flat metal lock-tripping theft device). Therefore, the time a thief remains in view, and vulnerable to discovery, is minima.
The slim jim may also be utilized to allow entry through a locked car door for assault of individuals who erroneous believe they are safe within their cars. As discussed above, the slim jim allows a thief or assailant almost immediate entry into a locked vehicle. Therefore, an individual may be taken by surprise by a criminals entry into a vehicle while waiting at a traffic light or a highway entrance ramp.
What is needed is a device which effectively resists unauthorized entry into a locked vehicle. It would be highly desirable if such a device could be instantly operated from within a vehicle to provide added passenger security. It would be further desirable for such a device to additionally include a keyed mechanism for operation thereof from outside a vehicle.